AHIMELECH.  Biblical.  [Hebrew Ahimelek = "brother of a king"].

    (1) A son of Ahitub, and the chief priest at Nob in Saul's reign.  David on one occasion went to him unattended and with an untruthful excuse for being alone, and representing that he and his men were in great want of food, received from him the shew-bread, which, by the law, was a perquisite of the priests.  He also requested and obtained the sword which had formerly belonged to Goliath (1 Sam. xxi. 1-9).  Doeg the Edomite reported the occurrence to Saul, who, interpreting it as a proof that Ahimelech and the other priests were treacherous, gave orders that they should be slain—a cruel sentence, which the Edomite had no scruple about carrying out.  Only one inhabitant of Nob—Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech—escaped from the massacre (xxi. 7; xxii. 7-23; Title of Psalm lii.).  Called also Ahiah (1 Sam. xiv. 18) and Abiathar (Mark ii. 26).
    (2) The son of the Abiathar who escaped from the slaughter at Nob, and the grandson of No. 1.  He was one of two high priests during David's reign (2 Sam. xiii. 17; 1 Chron. xxiv. 3, 6, 31).  Abimelech in 1 Chron. xviii. 16 is probably a copyist's error for Ahimelech.
    (3) A Hittite, and follower of David (1 Sam. xxvi. 6). (The Sunday School Teacher's Bible Manual, Hunter, 1894).